Prince Andrew Lost 'Duke of York' Title After Epstein Scandal Involvement

Liputan6.com, Jakarta Prince Andrew, Duke of York, officially announced his renunciation of the title of Duke of York and other honors on October 17, 2025.

This decision made after a series of discussions with King Charles III and other members of the Royal Family.

"In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family," Prince Andrew said in a statement.

"With His Majesty's agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me," Prince Andrew's statement said.

"As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

🚨 BREAKING: Prince Andrew has given up all his Royal titles pic.twitter.com/rNT8F1sKuf

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) October 17, 2025

On October 17, 2025, Prince Andrew announced he would no longer use the title of Duke of York.

This decision was made after discussions with King Charles III and his family, citing the need to protect the monarchy from "persistent accusations."

Prince Andrew stated, "I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and my country first."

Although he will no longer use the title of Duke of York, he technically retains it, as relinquishment can only be done through an Act of Parliament.

In addition to the title of Duke of York, Prince Andrew also relinquished his honors as Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

This means that only the title of Prince remains to him, as it was given to him by birth as the son of the Queen.

His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, will also no longer use the title of Duchess of York, in line with Prince Andrew's change in status.

Prince Andrew's involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier convicted of sex crimes, dates back to 1999.

This friendship began to draw sharp criticism in March 2011, particularly after calls for him to step down from his role as a trade envoy.

The controversy increased when photos of Prince Andrew walking with Epstein in New York's Central Park in December 2010 circulated widely.

The accusations culminated in Virginia Giuffre, who claimed Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions when she was 17 years old.

Emails revealed in 2023 also showed that Prince Andrew was still communicating with Epstein in 2010 and 2011.

In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II took the decisive step of stripping Prince Andrew of all honorary military titles.

He also stripped him of his charitable royal patronages, making him a private citizen in legal proceedings.

The Queen's decision came after a US court rejected Prince Andrew's request to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre.

More than 150 veterans also signed an open letter urging the Queen to strip his son of his military titles.

Among the military titles stripped were Admiral of the Sea Cadet Corps and Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards.

Prince Andrew also lost three Colonel-in-Chief titles of Canadian regiments, as well as more than 200 royal patronages related to universities and charities.

At the time, Buckingham Palace stated that Prince Andrew "will continue to refrain from carrying out any public duties and will defend this case as a private citizen."

He also stopped using the style "His Royal Highness" (HRH), a clear indication of his diminished status.